Excavator



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

ANDREW J. BARTLETT, OF ROMULUS, NEW' YORK.

EXCAVATOR.

Specieation` of Letters Patent No. 30,610, dated November I3, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. BARTLETT, of Romulus, in the county ofSeneca and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedExcavator; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification, Figure 1 being a plan ofthe machine, Fig. 2 a central longitudinal vertical section thereof.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in both figures.

My improved excavator is intended for clearing and raising the earthfrom ditches, generally after having been previously loosened; and isdesigned more particularly to follow a ditching plow, suoli as thatpatented by E. S. Bartlett, September 13th, 1859.

The working parts of the machine are mounted in a suitable rectangularframe A, which is supported by wheels B, B, substantially as representedin the drawings. The carriage thus formed, is drawn and guided by meansof a pole, or shaft, C, connected therewith in any suitable manner, thehorses walking on each side, out of the ditch. Centrally, under thefront end of the carriage, is situated a hollow scoop, or shovel, D,inclosed on all sides except at the rear end, which is left open for thepassage of an end less apron L, as will presently be described. Thisscoop, or shovel, is connected with the carriage by means of chains E,E, and G, Gr, secure to each side of the scoop, at suitable points, asat a 05,' the chains E, E, extending thence forward and upward, andpassing around over the front end of the frame A, and secured to hooksZ), or their equivalents, so as to be adjustable on the top thereof; andthe chains Gr, G, extending from the points of attachment a, a, nearlyvertically upward to a windlass I-I, on which they wind, substantiallyas represented. The windlass is turned and held in any desirableposition, by any suitable means; that represented in the drawings beinga handle lever c, secured to one end of said windlass, over which fits apin CZ, into any one of a set of holes f, f, f, in the bearing I, of thewindlass. Thus arranged, the hollow scoop is raised or lowered atpleasure, by simply turning the windlass, so as to adapt said scoop tothe diEerent depths it is required to run, and to raise it entirely fromthe ground when necessary, as, for instance, when going into the field,or in turning at the end of a ditch. By letting out, or taking in, thechains E, E, on the hooks b, o, in connection with the ad justing oft-he chains G, Gr, the hollow scoop is enabled to keep its necessaryposition in relation to other parts presently to be described.

At a suitable position in the space g, inclosed by the hollow scoop D,is situated a transverse roller K, around which passes the lower end ofthe inclined endless apron L, which extends thence upward and backward,through the rear, open end of the scoop, around a drum, or roller, M,armed with points, or projections, la, h, or their equivalents, forkeeping the endless apron from slipping. The endless apron is usuallyprovided with elevating flanges z', i, '21, arranged at suitabledistances apart, for holding the earth as it is deposited thereon by thescoop D. In order to sustain the weight of this earth on the endlessapron, as it is elevated, the said apron passes upward through aninclined, open trough, or guide, N; the bottom n, of said trough, beingpivoted at its lower end in the hollow scoop, as shown at Z, (Fig. 2,)and its upper end pivoted to the frame A, as represented at k. The sidesm, m, of this trough, retain the earth on the endless apron, as it isascending. This trough, by being pivoted to the hollow scoop, regulatesthe position of said scoop, as it is raised and lowered, thereby alwayskeeping the endless apron at uniform tension.

The drum or roller M, around which the rear end of the inclined, endlessapron passes, may be actuated by the rear driving wheels B, B, -in anysuitable manner; that represented in the drawings being by means of acog-wheel r, on the axle 3,' of said driving wheels, gearing into apinion 0, on the drum shaft p. The rear driving wheels are rigidlysecured to their axle; and in order to insure the proper action of allthe parts, I usually provide the periphery of one or both of them withspurs, or projections, t, t. But this is not necessary, if the carriageis of sufficient weight to prevent the wheels slipping on the ground.

Under the rear end of the endless apron, is situated an inclined chute,or discharging spout, I), for receiving the earth from the endlessapron, and discharging it on the side of the ditch. If it is todischarge the earth on both sides of the ditch, this chute is madeinclined from the center toward both sides. p

`'Ihe chains E, E, and G, G, allow the hollow scoop a free movement; sothat if the carriage runs a little one side of the center, the saidscoop will still follow the loosened earth in the ditch, which is agreat advantage over ordinary rigidexcavators. They also enable thescoop to make a smoother and more even channel in passing` overinequalities. The roller K, around which the lower end of the endlessapronfpasses, being situated in thehollow scoop, is Vkept free fromdirt, and thereby prevented from being clogged.

